Leucanthemum plant named ‘Doleucswedabir’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant named ‘Doleucswedabir’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; strong and upright flowering stems; early and freely flowering habit; large inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and large central disc; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Leucanthemum maximum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOLEUCSWEDABIR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Leucanthemum plant, botanically known as Leucanthemum maximum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Doleucswedabir’.

The new Leucanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Leucanthemum plants with numerous attractive inflorescences.

The new Leucanthemum plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Leucanthemum maximum identified as code number LC-0010, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Leucanthemum maximum as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Leucanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in April, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Leucanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, since May, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Leucanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Leucanthemum have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Doleucswedabir’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Doleucswedabir’ as a new and distinct Leucanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Strong and upright flowering stems.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large inflorescences with white-colored ray florets and large         central disc.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely flowering than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Leucanthemum can be compared to plants of Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Victorian Secret’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,654. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Leucanthemum differ from plants of ‘Victorian Secret’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   2. Plants of the new Leucanthemum have broader and darker         green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   3. Plants of the new Leucanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   4. Plants of the new Leucanthemum are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Victorian Secret’.     -   5. Inflorescences of plants of the new Leucanthemum have fewer         ray florets and more disc florets than inflorescences of plants         of ‘Victorian Secret’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Leucanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Leucanthemum plant. The photograph is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Doleucswedabir’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 13-cm containers during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Leucanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 8° C. Plants were pinched one time one week after planting and were three months old when the photograph was taken and four months old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Leucanthemum maximum ‘Doleucswedabir’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Leucanthemum maximum identified as code number LC-0010, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Leucanthemum             maximum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About twelve days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             weeks at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 16 days             at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light brown in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching, medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             mounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; moderate growth             rate; freely branching habit with about eight to ten primary             branches each with about five to seven secondary branches             developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 40 cm to 50 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.         -   Branch description.—Length: About 15 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Texture             and luster: Sparsely pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to             137C.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile.             Length: About 15 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 5.5 cm. Shape:             Spatulate to oblong. Apex: Acute to apiculate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Serrate. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; matte. Venation pattern:             Prominent midvein; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C. Fully developed leaves, upper             surface: Darker than 137A; venation, close to 145B. Fully             developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 145B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large inflorescences with oblanceolate-shaped             ray florets and tubular disc florets; inflorescences held             upright on strong peduncles, inflorescences face mostly             upright; ray and disc florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pleasant.         -   Flowering response.—Plants begin flowering about twelve             weeks after planting; plants flower naturally during June             and July in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about six weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about 32             inflorescences develop per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 9 cm. Depth (height):             About 1 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 1.4 cm.             Color: Close to 145B.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Flattened sphere. Color: Close to 137D.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 34 arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 8mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Rounded and shallowly emarginate.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire; distally, slightly             undulate. Aspect: Mostly horizontal to reflexing. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 155D; color does not change with development. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D;             color does not change with development.         -   Trans florets.—Appearance and quantity: Interior to the ray             florets and surrounding the disc are about three to four             whorls each with about 27 trans florets with acute apices.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D;             color does not change with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D; color does not             change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 400 massed             at the center of the receptacle arranged in about 14 whorls.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Fused             tubular. Apex: Acute, five-pointed. Texture and luster,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color: When opening and fully opened, inner surface: Close             to 12A; color does not change with development. When opening             and fully opened, outer surface: Close to 144D; color does             not change with development.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 58             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 8 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Fused.             Margin: Entire, membraneous. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; somewhat glossy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 40 cm to 50 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 30° from             vertical. Texture and luster: Slightly pubescent; matte.             Color: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity per floret: Five per disc floret. Filament             length: About 1 mm. Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther             shape: Roughly rectangular. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 15A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 17A. Gynoecium: Present on ray, trans and             disc florets. Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About             4.5 mm. Stigma diameter: Close to 1 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 12B. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Close to 154C. Ovary color: Close to             145C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Leucanthemum. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Leucanthemum     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to Leucanthemum plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Leucanthemum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind and     rain, to tolerate temperatures ranging from −15° C. to 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Leucanthemum plant named ‘Doleucswedabir’ as illustrated and described. 